Perth Lynx tweak travel schedule for new campaign

Camera IconAlison Schwagmeyer, Kayla Standish, Toni Farnworth and the Lynx will tinker with their travel approach this season.Picture: Mogens Johansen

The Perth Lynx will draw upon lessons learnt from last season’s finals series and attempt to return home in the middle of their tough road trips in the upcoming campaign.

The WNBL released the 2018-19 fixtures yesterday, with the Lynx facing three consecutive interstate games within a seven-day period during three blocks of the season.

Having spent more than one week interstate last season and losing all three matches, coach Andy Stewart said it was better for the players to be at home.

“If we can fly out on the night of the first game, then we’ll get home and have two or three nights in our own beds,” he said.

“There’s no replacement for your own bed in regard to recovery. You can do all the stretching and the ice baths, but the key is natural sleep.

“Last year we didn’t have time to get home.

“This year we think we do.”

The Lynx will start and end the season with multiple home games. Stewart said having the first three games at home would give his new team more time to train together and gel.

Only three players remain from last season.

With the WNBA finals starting today and the World Cup being played later next month, the entire team won’t be in Perth until late in the pre-season.

Stewart said he was working hard to build chemistry among his players regardless of their commitments.

“We have four players who are here and we flew the other Australian players into Melbourne two weeks ago for a mini-camp,” Stewart said.

“At this stage we have managed to spend time with everybody except the two American imports.

“The only downside to our start is if we don’t get off to the right win-loss ratio that we want, then we’ve burnt a couple of home games getting to know each other. But I’d take that fixture each time.”

The WNBL has extended the season by two weeks to give the players more recovery time and reverted to a home-away-home format for the semifinals.

There will also be seven days between the last round and the start of the finals.

Having played four home games on Thursday night last season, the Lynx believe they have a more family friendly fixture. They have five home matches on Friday night, three on Saturday, two on Sunday and only one Thursday night fixture.